Panthers aim high

BALL CONTROL:

Photo by George Beshiri

St. Marguerite d'Youville' Panthers' Rayon Miller (32) seems ready to carry the ball down the court with Cadinal Ambrozic's Swayne Green in pursuit. The Panthers roared to an 77-44 win to finish the Peel senior boys high school baskeball regular season at 6-0.

St. Marguerite d’Youville Panthers have set a high standard in high school basketball.
The team that has won three of the last four Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association (ROPSSAA) Tier 1 crowns is favoured to return to the final after completing its regular season at 6-0. The league season wrapped up Thursday with a 77-44 victory over the Cardinal Ambrozic Riverhawks at d’Youville.
The Panthers have been impressive in the league, allowing just 185 points in their six league games, with their closest win margin by 17 points over second-place Ascension of Our Lord Eagles. They have also won five tournament titles while compiling a 32-3 overall mark.
But the team’s main goal, to get back to the provincial tournament in March is still ahead of it. Last year d’Youville was beaten in the playoff quarterfinals and did not make it to the ROPSSAA final.
That’s something coaches Carlo Zoffranieri and David Zeni are hoping to avoid and they push the team to stay away from bad habits.
“We tell them to work hard no matter what the score is,” said Zoffranieri.
D’Youville had four players hit in double figures against the Riverhawks. James Agyeman led the way with 21 points. Abed Emran had 15, including four three-pointers, Rayon Miller 12 and Addi Ogunye 10. Ranique McFarlane added nine.
D’Youville hopes to add to its tournament total this weekend at the all-Ontario Catholic championship in St. Catharines.
Cardinal Ambrozic head coach Jayson Reynolds admits its a tough spot for his team to be in as a new school to go into d’Youville to play with its enthusiastic fans.
“We’re a four-year old school. Hopefully in a couple of years we can start getting banners like they have here at d’Youville,” he said.
This is the first season that the Riverhawks have played against Tier 1 competition and the team had acquitted itself well. After winning the first three league games, the Riverhawks have lost back-to-back games coming out of the exam break, falling to Ascension by 15 points on Wednesday before meeting the Panthers.
With a 3-2 mark they finish off the season on Monday hosting the St. Thomas Aquinas Cardinals, who are also 3-2 in the game which will decide third place in the Northeast.
Jassi Malki led the scoring with 10 points while Kaelin Ruddock chipped in with nine. Reynolds said Malki and Phillip Thompson have been the key players for Ambrozic this season.
D’Youville also won the junior contest, 44-33 with the Panthers winding up at 6-0. Ambrozic is 3-2 and in second heading into its contest with Aquinas on Monday.